After that story, and some other good exposure, Burns was able to work out a deal that would give the car both a covered space for restoration and a permanent home when the project is complete - at the LeMay Family Collection property.

The catch is that Burns has to raise $17,000 to get the car to that new home. And he only has until the end of March to make the move.

To reach his goal, Burns has posted a Kickstarter campaign. At last check, $2,645 had been raised, with two weeks remaining until the March 28 deadline.

Skilled tradespeople and historic preservation organizations have offered their expertise in the restoration work, and as we've seen, there's been quite a lot of support for the community, but $17,000 is no small amount to raise in two weeks.

Who's ready to chip in a few bucks to save this piece of Tacoma history?

Learn more about the project, and pledge your support to help move the dining car on the project's Kickstarter page.

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Comments

Great Project!

I’ve met Dave and some of his volunteers down at the car. He has a lot of energy and was very enthusiastic about preserving this old diner for Tacoma and tourists to our city. There is a lot of work to do, but from what I saw it was very worth saving. The craftsmanship was incredible. I remember this car when it was the “Sportsman Diner” in the small town of Easton, Washington.